While it's unlikely to get as much attention as Ann Coulter calling him a "faggot" during her speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) last night, The BRAD BLOG has learned that John Edwards is the first Presidential Candidate to announce his support for a growing movement calling for a ban on the use of all Direct Recording Electronic (DRE, usually touch-screen) voting systems in American elections.

The BRAD BLOG was contacted late last night by Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) Board Chair Mimi Kennedy with the news that during a campaign event in Los Angeles Edwards agreed to join her organization in calling for an end to electronic ballots in American elections.

PDA has been one of many groups calling for the ban and other important amendments to Rep. Rush Holt's (D-NJ) new Election Reform bill (HR 811), recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Kennedy, an activist and actress well known for her role as Dharma's mother on ABC's Dharma and Greg, told The BRAD BLOG that during a Q & A period following his address last night, she asked Edwards whether he would join PDA in their campaign calling for "the complete removal of all Touch-Screen Direct Record Electronic voting machines from U.S. elections, with or without a paper trail."

Drawing an "X" in the air as the question was being asked, Edwards --- who was reportedly upset at Sen. John Kerry's decision not to contest the 2004 Presidential Election count, or lack thereof, in Ohio --- answered with a definitive "Yes!"

"Yes!" echoed Kennedy in response as the audience reportedly cheered and applauded.

Edwards's public support for a ban on DRE voting systems follows just over a week after Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) was asked a related question by an Election Integrity advocate at a public event at the University of California/Santa Cruz. Waters announced, in response to the query, that she would be withdrawing her co-sponsorship of the Holt bill in the wake of the growing concerns about several troubling shortcomings in the proposed legislation.

Kennedy attended the event, sponsored by the Pacific Palisades Democratic Club, with friend and former TAXI co-star Rhea Perlman, who unsuccessfully tried to video tape the Q & A session on her cell phone. The BRAD BLOG is attempting to locate a complete video of the event and we'll update this item if and when we do.

Before an audience estimated at 400, Kennedy rose and said to the former Vice-Presidential candidate...

"I'm not going to ask a question about the war," referring to PDA's anti-war campaign calling for withdrawal and diplomacy which Edwards had previously stated support for, "I'm going to ask about election technology."

"I'm going to try not to make people's eyes cross with the technical stuff," she said in recounting her question to Edwards. "You, of all people, know what has happened to our elections under some of this new technology and after working two years on these issues, Progressive Democrats of America and other groups have identified the worst offender as the touch-screen Direct Record Electronic voting machine."

As she spoke, Edwards reportedly nodded and drew a "large and vigorous 'X'" in the air in front of him with his free hand.

"So I'm going to ask you now --- Do you support the complete removal of all Touch-Screen Direct Record Electronic voting machines from U.S. elections, with or without a paper trail?"

Edwards's answer was an unequivocal and well-received "Yes!" according to Kennedy.

PDA has joined a growing list of Election Integrity advocates and organizations (including The BRAD BLOG) in calling for an end to DRE voting systems and demanding amendments to Holt's Election Reform bill as currently written.

The bill, while calling for a number of much-needed improvements to the current electoral mess in America, stops short of calling for a ban on DRE/touch-screen voting machines. Such systems have been proven over the last several years to be inaccurate, extremely vulnerable to tampering, and prone to failures and breakdowns which, during the 2006 election cycle, denied thousands if not millions of legally-registered voters from being able to cast a vote.

PDA's campaign calling on citizens to insist that Congress amend Holt's bill to require a full ban on DRE voting systems is here...

An earlier campaign, launched by more than 40 non-partisan Election Integrity organizations and endorsed by PDA, calling on Congress to require a paper ballot --- not a "trail" or "record," and one that is actually tabulated --- for every vote cast in America, is here...

Do NOT let that scumbag Coulter put you in favor of this warmongering jerk. Just because it is despicable to be saying this stuff about or to anybody does NOT make the target virtuous. John Edwards is a politicking war pig who only CALLS HIMSELF "decent". And he clearly will say ANYTHING for a little coverage. Even if he actually WOULD try to fix the broken elections in this country, he'd also nuke innocent millions for campaign donors.

I don't know enough about Edwards to say that this "puts me over the top", but it certainly scores some points with me. The first effect will be to give the ban serious consideration, and we may see other candidates "piling on" with this one...and that's good for all of us.

Did John Edwards actually say something about the electronic voting issue? Did he make a public statement about this? It sounds like he said yes to a question, but I'd like a bigger commitment. I'd like for him to address this electronic voting issue in an interview where his words are written down. I don't want him to be saying yes just for the Public Relations gain with activists. If he really stand on this, then we must hear actually words beyond tracing an "X"s in the air and the word "yes" in a 3rd hand report on a blog.

So I'll be waiting for some actual beneficial work that he will do by championing this. Considering that it's been 2.5 years since Edwards lost the last election, and he has said nothing, this weak announcement is not going to quite do it for me.

Am I the only one smelling a rat ? I hope DRE's get banned, but it's not likely. I think this is a dangerous red herring. Edwards should be advocating disclosure and transparency in voting systems as well as calling for the ultimate ban.A ban is unlikely, while disclosure is immediately obtainable. - Mort S.

{Ed note: After several warnings, Brent Turner of the Open Voting Consortium (OVC), has continued to violate the very few rules we have here at BRAD BLOG. Including posting knowing disinformation and using different names to comment. He has posted on on this blog as "James Kushner", "Todd Simkinjs", "Mort Silverman", "Newman", "Wallace Mckenzie" as well as under his own name in other threads. I'm sorry that OVC continues to work with Turner after repeated warnings and demonstrations that he is unwilling to follow basic rules here and basic rules of decency elsewhere. I can only hope that his atrocious, deceitful behavior does not represent the open voting movement as a whole. His posting will no longer be allowed here at BRAD BLOG. --- BF}

As you well know, "Mort" --- and if you don't, it's because you're apparently too lazy to read the legislation --- the current Holt Election Reform bill already calls for disclosure of all source code used in voting systems (as well as criminal records of system programmers, etc.)

(NOTE: "Mort" is an activist, hamfistedly attempting to promote the Open Voting Consortium on these pages, under a phony name and identity --- he usually says he lives in either New Jersey or Maryland, but he actually lives in California --- to promote himself and the OVC. I won't say anything more about "Mort" for now, other than to say I'm very close to banning him entirely for his disingenuous bullshit and previous disinfo here. Sorry, but I'm losing my patience. For now, back to your previously scheduled adult-ish discussion. - BF)

I am not thrilled with any of the candidates and at this point just may pass on 08. gw needs to go down in history for all the crimes he and cheney have committed NOW. I'm sure there will be more before his term is up! I'm afraid that without impeachment, history will be "twisted" and he, cheney and rove will not be seen for the crooks they are. Dems can do something about it NOW, but I guess that isn't nice!!! Dems are way to passive and unless they get some kahonis real soon, we will be past the point of no return, if we haven't reached it already!

I have played the very early "who shall the 2008 Democratic presidential candidate be" game, too; but I think at this point we should mainly think of Edwards's answer as an opening. I agree with Juliette in #5 to some extent, except that I think this can be very good. In campaigns, there is always a bunch of great-sounding at the moment things that get buried under other great-sounding things. (Unfortunately, impressions are the main concern of modern campaigns.) Let's play Edwards off against the others, force him to make a statement on the issue, put it on his website and so on. It's a way to strengthen the issue in national dialogue.

If the Edwards campaign would prefer to make feel-good gestures only, we'll find out.

I think Edwards should be encouraged to say more, indeed. But it's a damn fine start if he is on record, even if he's answering a question.

His wife's remarks in her book are understandable to me. In light of being second on the ticket, Edwards was not in a position to challenge a Kerry-decision on the campaign--at least as a matter of personal ethics---the way I see it. You could argue that the President and Vice President are separately elected, and they might consider putting the premium on a clear election outcome instead of party unity. It is a good argument. But I doubt if I would have done or said anything differently from Edwards had I been in his position.

Edwards is running on his own now and he seems to have "learned". I think he should get points for this, but I think he should also be more forceful on the issue. Third time's the charm.

Would he support adding $10 billion to the Iraq budget to fix the places, such as Walter Reed Hospital, with rats, mold, and other scum, to "take care of the troops"?

All the dems should get together and make the Iraqi's return the 363 tons of $100 bills flown in to Baghdad so we can fix our hospitals here.

Or perhaps a hundred Walter Reed Hospital outpatient buildings without bathrooms, running water, or sanitized floors is what the neoCons had in mind when they wanted to bring their version of "freedom" to Iraq?

This shouldn't be underestimated. As perfunctory as John Edward's endorsement was, it marks the first time a major national politician has come out in support of a ban on DRE's. It will now be much harder to marginalize the supporters of the needed amendments to H.R. 811. When the history of the election integrity movement is written, Edward's "X" sign is likely to be seen as the moment the movement went mainstream.

I agree with Leftisbest- Edwards is a decent sort who made a tragic mistake. I believe he is truly sorry- Now let's gp forward with the best available - As far as getting the elections cleaned up- I would think we would benefir from better consultation to our legislators.- Newman-